title: Evaluation of a protective environment in the management of granulocytopenic patients: a comparative study.
abstract: Fever, clinical infection, bacteriologically documented infection, and death from infection were evaluated in 95 consecutive uninfected patients with severe granulocytopenia (less than 0.5 x 10(6)/liter). Patients were randomly allocated to reverse isolation and prophylactic oral nonabsorbable antibiotics or to open ward care. The microbiologic surveillance of air samples and stool cultures showed reduction of pathogenic organisms in patients treated in protective environment units. There was a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of fever (80% vs. 39.6%; P less than 0.001), clinical infections (55.3% vs. 25%; P less than 0.01), bacteriologically documented infections (53.2% vs. 20.8%; P less than 0.01), and deaths from infections (25.5% vs. 8.3%; P = 0.02) in patients treated in a protective environment as compared with patients treated on the open ward.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000391:Air Microbiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010356:Patient Isolation
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents